The Portland daily press., 1887-04-08
WOMEN THE WARD ROOMS.
Some of the Scenes at the Rhode
Island Election.
Providence Journal.


Artemus Ward once said that when good
loyking girls went into the women's rights
question he would join the procession. A
look around at the ward rooms today DEM
onstrated the fact that if Artemus had been
in the fleshsnow he would not have Joined
the procession. The ladies, however, de-
serve great credit for standing to their guns
nobly, especially in the Second district of
the Tenth Ward when at noon-time the la
boring men were out in force and enjoying
their MONDAY smoke ON the old dhudeen.
Miss Mary F. Eastman, the well-known
speaker and champion of woman suffrage,
was doing yeoman-or yeowoman-Work,
and fought many battle amid the clouds OF
smoke from well-blackened I. DE-
''Show me, begorra," said an old time son
of Erin, "show me where there is any min
ton in the Bible of a faymale being any
"You forget Deborah, my dear man.
sect away from in front of me table, y
shouted an ungallant table tender as the
crowd gathered around the lady and the dis
/ "Oh, all right sir, all we want is a fair
chance with the rest" and then she appealed
to Mr.. German if she had not the right to
plead her cause.
In the First district of the Tenth, there
was heated discussion on this same sub
lect, venerable colored man defending the
ladies.
Look var, sir; we needs de wimmen in
politics to purify dem; See how tbs now
lighting each other all de time, and starv-
ing everybody, and it's a-gittin' wuss and
wuss all de time"
''Sure, if the wimmen have a vote they'd
talk us to death at home, and that's as bad
as starving. How could come here to cast
me vote if the ould woman didn't stay at
| home; sure have to bate her now to keep
her quiet, and with politics in her noddle,
there wud be no living with her."
The ladies in the Sixth ward were conf
| dent of success early in the day, and when il
| did not look so nice for their hopes, they
SUCK 10 rpeir WORK, however, in spite of the
tobacco smoke, bad air, and the rest of thu
| pleasant things at ward room on election
day.
A good thing was said in the Eighth ward
| by Mr.. L. b. Mccormick, well known resi-
| dent of the ward A gentleman came along
with an approved" ticket in one hand, and
a reject in the other, and made the re-
mark, IF any one will tell me single rea
son why | should vote against the woman,
suffrage, will" Mr.. Mccormick was eoua
| to the emergency, and said: ''If we giy(
women right to vote, they are eligible to of
flee; then we elect Miss Smith for our COVER
nor. The next week along comes Brown
and marries her, and she becomes Mrs
Brown, and Miss Smith has no legal exist
ence. The result is we have to have new
election" Amid the laugh which FOLLOWED
this the voter dropped his approved ticket
! and voted against the amendment.
1t was amusing to watch the heelers hurry
ing and scurrying from the sidewalk clear t.
| the rail in front of the ballot-box, and they
| held on to the voters with as much persist
ency as an implacable creditor. When the
ballot was deposited the voter had dropped
into his hand two or three little round pieces
| of pasteboard, very much like gun wads-
| that is providing he voted the Democratic
| ticket. On these little discs were stamped
the word Utica" and on presentation a
neighboring bar rooms brought the holder
drink of POOR whiskey.